Japan

JPN

Japan holds the world's most powerful passport, granting visa-free access to 194 destinations. The country offers exceptional safety, healthcare, and quality of life, though naturalisation requires renouncing other citizenships, making it less suitable for those seeking dual nationality.

Naturalisation: 5 years
Tax system: Residence Based
Currency: Japanese Yen (JPY)
Dual citizenship: Not allowed
Capital: Tokyo
Region: asia
Population: 125,700,000
Cost-of-living: 69 /100

→ If you hold a Japan passport, see the Japan nationality guide

Passport Rank

Visa-Free

194

destinations

Country Details

Capital: Tokyo
Currency: Japanese Yen (JPY)
Languages: Japanese
Population: 125,700,000
Tax System: Residence Based
Dual Citizenship: Not allowed
Naturalisation: 5 years
Schengen / EU: No
Climate: Temperate / Subtropical
English Proficiency Rank: #87

Indices

Cost of Living

Safety

Healthcare

Quality of Life

193

Tax Summary

Tax System: Residence Based
Territorial Taxation: No — worldwide income taxed for residents
Naturalisation: 5 years of legal residency
Dual Citizenship: Not allowed

Cost of Living by City

← scroll the table →

Monthly cost of living per major city in USD: rent, groceries, utilities, transit pass
City	Rent 1BR centre	Rent outside	Groceries	Utilities	Transit pass
Tokyo	$1,400	$900	$420	$200	$110
Osaka	$900	$650	$380	$180	$95

Monthly USD figures. Typical central 1-bedroom rent, grocery basket for one, household utilities, monthly transit pass.

Climate

Tokyo

5°J

6°F

10°M

15°A

19°M

23°J

27°J

28°A

24°S

19°O

13°N

8°D

Rainfall range: 51–210 mm/month · Daylight 10h (winter) to 14h (summer)

Visa Categories & Immigration Authority

Major Visa Categories

Tourist
Student
Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services
Highly Skilled Professional
Working Holiday
Business Manager
Spouse or Child of Japanese National
Designated Activities (Digital Nomad)
Permanent Resident

Authority: Immigration Services Agency of Japan
Official Portal: www.isa.go.jp
Phone: +81-3-5796-7112
Email: info@isa.go.jp

Naturalisation Details

Residence Years: 5
Language Test: Yes (Japanese (written + spoken basic))
Civic Test: No
Oath Required: Yes
Dual Allowed: No
Fee: $0
Processing: ~12 months

Real Estate

Avg price/sqm (capital): $17,000
Transaction taxes: 6%

Foreign buyers: No foreign-ownership restrictions. Freehold available. Tokyo 23-wards average JPY 1.2M/sqm (~USD 8,000); central prime JPY 2.5M/sqm (~USD 17,000). Acquisition tax (real-estate acquisition tax) ~3% + registration + stamp duty; annual fixed-asset tax 1.4%.

International Schools

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International schools by city, curriculum, and annual tuition
School	City	Curriculum	Tuition (USD/yr)
American School in Japan	Tokyo	US + AP	$28,000–$37,000
St Mary's International School	Tokyo	IB	$25,000–$35,000

Daily Life Logistics

Internet

350 Mbps median

98% fibre coverage

eSIM: NTT Docomo, SoftBank, au KDDI, Rakuten Mobile

Driving

IDP required

Local licence required after 12 months

Exchange eligible: Most OECD countries with reciprocity + translation via JAF

Pet Relocation

Quarantine: 180 days

Rabies titre required

EU pet passport: not accepted

Safety

GPI Rank

Global Peace Index ranking (lower is safer)

Common Risks

⚠taxi overcharging tourists from Narita
⚠izakaya bait-and-switch in Shinjuku Kabukicho
⚠romance scams on dating apps targeting foreign residents

Examples of areas to avoid: Kabukicho side streets late night, Airin-chiku in Osaka

LGBTQ+ Legal Status

Same-Sex Marriage: Not legal
Civil Partnerships: Recognised
Anti-Discrimination Law: No
ILGA Rank: #40

Religious Life

Halal Food: Limited
Kosher Food: Limited
Prayer Facilities: Limited

Sample Citizenship Test Questions

Q1. What is the name of the Japanese Emperor as of 2025?

Answer: Naruhito

Source: Ministry of Justice Japan

Q2. In which year did the current Japanese Constitution come into effect?

Answer: 1947

Source: Ministry of Justice Japan

Related Guides

Exit tax: countries that charge you to leave

Country-by-country reference of departure taxes, deemed-disposition rules, and wealth-locking regimes that trigger when tax residency ends.

Related on The Citizenship Desk

Citizenship

Verified 2026-07-07

Hospitals

St. Luke's International Hospital

Tokyo, Japan JPN

JCI

CardiologyOncologyGeneral Internal MedicineEmergency Medicine+2

2 languages

St. Luke's International Hospital

Tokyo, Japan JPN

JCI

Internal MedicineOncologyCardiologyMaternity+2

2 languages

Sources & last verified

Last verified 2026-04-20